3 navigation spacecraft join group of glonass satellites

Three navigation satellites were launched from Russia's Baikonur cosmodrome on Wednesday at 10.39 a.m. Moscow time on board a Proton-K booster. At 2.45 p.m. the satellites reached the target orbit, the Russian Space Forces' press service has told RIA Novosti.

The satellites were put into circular orbit at a distance of 25,508 km from Earth, according to the Space Forces.

The satellites were given the following numbers: Kosmos - 2394, - 2395 and - 2396. Telemetric communication is being maintained with the spacecraft. Control of the spacecraft is being maintained by the Space Forces' command and instrumentation complex, said the press service.

The satellites are joining the Global Orbiting Navigation Satellite System, GLONASS, in accordance with a Russian governmental resolution on GLONASS development, reported the Space Forces